In January, Brown reintroduced an idea that went down in flames last year: Instead of the state paying districts the same money for all students, and paying for individual programs with funds that could only be spent certain ways, California will give districts a mostly unrestricted pool of money and districts facing additional challenges would receive additional funds.

Brown's plan, if approved, would mean no district would receive less money than it did this year, and districts would receive additional funds based on the number of students from low-income families, students whose families do not speak English at home and foster children.

On Tuesday, Brown upped the amount of that money by about 1 percent, increasing the money for local school districts by $240 million to $1.9 billion.

"A rising tide lifts all boats," he said. "If our goal is to educationally help kids, great goal, but good intentions are not enough. We want to make sure that we're achieving that goal. "

The revised budget also includes $1 billion to help ease the transition to the new Common Core curriculum, a framework adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. The new, more rigorous curriculum, which is expected to be fully implemented in California by fall 2014, relies on computers for tests that adapt as students take them.

Edgar Zazueta, Los Angeles Unified's chief lobbyist, said the budget is "very positive" for the state's largest school district. The $1 billion allocated statewide works out to about $170 per student for 2013-14, he said. With about 550,000 students, LAUSD would receive $93.5 million that could be used for technology, professional development and instructional materials.

It's not all good news: UC Riverside's new medical school set to open this year with 50 students will do so without being fully funded. The UC system sought $15 million annually to get the school off the ground.

The school's interim chancellor was not surprised at the snub.

"We are still hopeful of securing the state funding needed for school through the legislative process," Jane Conoley said in a release. But, she noted, legislation to support the medical school is progressing through the Senate and Assembly.

Shortchanging the school will have a financial impact on the broader region, said Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside.

"The UCR Medical School is a critical catalyst for new economic growth for Riverside and Inland Southern California that will attract new biomedical research and development," he said. "The medical school will grow health care employment at all levels - from GEDs to Ph.D.s. "